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DAYTON – The University of Dayton men’s basketball team stays close to home for its first true road test of the 2025-26 campaign, traveling to the University of Cincinnati on Tuesday to take on the Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena at 7 p.m.
The Flyers (2-0), pulled out a close victory over UMBC, 77-72, at home on Saturday afternoon, while the Bearcats (2-0) topped Georgia State in the friendly confines of Fifth Third Arena by 10, 74-64.
Tuesday night’s game can be seen on ESPN+
All five starters scored in double-digits for the Flyers, with senior Javon Bennett leading the way with 16. Senior transfer Keonte Jones scored a new high for his brief Dayton career, putting up 12 points. The Madison, Wis. native went 5-for-5 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from three, and also had five steals, three rebounds and a pair of blocks.
The starting lineup for the Flyers against UMBC was:
Javon Bennett (Sr. – G), De’Shayne Montgomery (Jr. – G), Keonte Jones (Sr. – F), Jacob Conner (Sr. – F), and Amaël L’Etang (So. – F).
The Cincinnati series is the Flyers’ third-most-played opponent in program history, with the Bearcats holding a 61-32 lead all-time. The only two teams UD has played more are Xavier (159) and Miami (132).
UD and UC have played one another each of the last two seasons, with the teams splitting the games.
The last time the Flyers traveled to Cincinnati for a true road game was a memorable one, as UD took down the Bearcats 81-66 in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
Marcus Johnson led the Flyers with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Rob Lowery came of the bench to add 13 points, and both Chris Wright and Paul Williams added 11 points each.
